Isekai in Hajime no Ippo with Gaolang’s Template

Ippo and Alex arrived at the gym, their sneakers scuffing against the floor as they stepped through the entrance. The familiar sounds of punches hitting heavy bags and sparring echoed through the air, blending with the faint scent of sweat and leather. Before they could settle in, Kimura called out, leaning against the wall with a slightly exasperated expression.

"Ippo, you've got a visitor," Kimura said, jerking his thumb toward the entrance. "He kept demanding for you to come out. He's an annoying guy. You know who he is?"

Kimura pointed toward the corner of the gym, where a young man stood waiting. His spiky hair and confident grin gave him an unmistakable presence. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, exuding a cocky energy that filled the room.

"Finally!" the young man said, standing up straight as soon as he spotted Ippo. "You finally came out. I was tired of waiting."

Alex's sharp eyes studied the visitor, his mind piecing together a realization. "Isn't he… familiar?" Alex muttered under his breath, thinking hard. His memory clicked. Isn't this guy Ippo's future rival?

Ippo, meanwhile, looked at the man in confusion. "What's with him?" he thought, his brows furrowing slightly. Feeling the need to address the situation, Ippo stepped forward hesitantly. "I'm sorry I made you wait… um?"

The young man's grin widened. "You don't know who I am, huh? Oh well, let me introduce myself," he said with a casual air of self-importance. "My name's Sendo Takeshi, West Japan Featherweight Class Rookie King."

"West Japan Rookie King?" Aoki and Kimura, who had been watching silently, exchanged a look.

Kimura scratched his head. "I've heard of him. The magazines spoke highly of him, said he's the number one Kansai hope."

"Ah, yeah, you're the guy they call Rocky, right?" Aoki chimed in, pointing at Sendou with a curious expression.

Sendo smirked, puffing his chest out a little. "That's me."

"Wow, you're called Rocky? That's so cool!" Ippo said, his admiration shining through.

Alex chuckled from the sidelines, crossing his arms. "Yeah, it's cool… but my nickname's better."

Sendo raised an eyebrow at Alex, then turned back to Ippo. "Don't misunderstand," he said, his grin returning. "My nickname isn't from that movie Rocky. It's from Rocky Marciano." He leaned slightly forward, his pride evident. "How's that?"

Ippo tilted his head, slightly unsure. "I… I guess it's cool," he said cautiously.

"That's right!" Sendo said, his voice rising with enthusiasm. "Marciano—49 matches, 49 wins, 43 KOs. In the history of boxing, only Rocky Marciano retired undefeated. No ties, no losses!"

"For now," Alex said, his voice calm and sharp.

Sendo's grin faltered slightly as he turned to Alex, a glint of curiosity in his eyes. After a moment, recognition dawned. "Wait a second… You're Alex 'The Great,' aren't you? I've seen your name in the papers. Even TV's been talking about you."

Alex shrugged, his confidence effortless. "That's me."

"They're calling you the youngest champion in Japan," Sendo added, his tone now carrying a note of respect.

The two stared at each other for a moment, a quiet tension hanging in the air. Meanwhile, Ippo stood between them, looking from one to the other, unsure of what was unfolding. Aoki and Kimura watched the scene with smirks, already sensing that this was only the beginning of something big.

Then Sendo's confident grin returned as he turned to face Ippo fully. "The West Japan Rookie King Tournament?" he began, his voice dripping with disdain. "It was so boring. What a waste of time. A bunch of wusses. They all went down with one hit. So incredibly boring."

Ippo blinked in surprise, startled by Sendo's bluntness. "Oh…"

"But then," Sendo continued, his grin widening as he jabbed a finger toward Ippo, "I saw your fight." He stepped closer, his face suddenly inches from Ippo's, making the smaller man instinctively take a step back. "So what the hell is this about you withdrawing?"

Ippo froze, startled by both Sendo's sudden closeness and his intense gaze. "Uh—um…"

Sendo grabbed Ippo by the shoulders, shaking him lightly but with fervor. "I knew it! I finally found him!" he exclaimed. "The man I can finally fight man-to-man with!"

"Even if you say that…" Ippo began, struggling to process the whirlwind of Sendo's energy.

"Are you a man?" Sendo shouted, shaking Ippo again. "I finally researched a secret technique just to beat you!"

"A secret technique?" Ippo echoed, his eyes widening in surprise.

"That's right!" Sendo declared proudly, puffing out his chest. "A secret technique! And it's still not perfect. But anyone would wuss out after seeing that Smash!"

"Whoa!" Aoki exclaimed, his and Kimura's heads snapping toward Sendo.

"You can use that Smash?" Aoki asked, his voice a mixture of disbelief and excitement. "The sleek, water-like upper used by Braddock, right? The one Tyson tried so hard to master?"

Sendo's expression froze for a second as he realized his slip-up. "Ah, crap! I accidentally said it!" He quickly clasped his hands together in a praying motion, his face contorting into a funny, exaggerated look of desperation. "Keep it a secret, okay? Pretty please!"

Alex, watching the scene unfold, smirked. "What do you mean by 'secret' after you just told your opponent everything?" he said, pointing at Ippo.

Sendo's face fell for a moment before he waved his hand dismissively. "There's no hiding the Smash now!" he declared, his usual confidence returning in an instant.

He turned back to Ippo, his grin fading into a serious expression. "Are you seriously turning tail?"

"I'm not turning tail," Ippo said, bowing politely in response. "But I really can't use my right fist properly. It wouldn't be serious boxing. I'm sorry."

Hearing this, Sendo's brow furrowed in frustration. His jaw clenched as he processed Ippo's words, his disappointment morphing into irritation. Without warning, he spun and kicked a nearby punching bag, the impact sending it swinging wildly.

"If you're bored," Alex said suddenly, his calm voice cutting through the tension, "do you want to spar with a champ?"

Sendo turned sharply toward Alex, his eyes narrowing. "What did you say?"

"I said, do you want to spar with a champ?" Alex repeated, a confident smile playing on his lips. "Don't worry," he added, gesturing toward Ippo, Aoki, and Kimura, "they'll all go outside. It'll just be the two of us here. And I won't tell Ippo anything about your fighting habits after our spar."

For a moment, Sendo's eyes flicked between Alex and Ippo, as if weighing the offer. Slowly, a grin spread across his face, his previous irritation melting away into eager excitement. "Sure," he said, his energy building once more.

Ippo, Aoki, and Kimura exchanged glances as they began to step toward the door, leaving Alex and Sendo to face off in the gym's center. The air seemed to crackle with anticipation, both fighters radiating confidence as they prepared for their clash.

Note: Double chapter today